FREQUENCY-DOMAIN DISPERSION MEASUREMENTS IN TUNABLE MODE-LOCKED LASERS

Measurements of intracavity dispersion in operating tunable, passively mode-locked, femtosecond lasers have been performed by use of a new f requency-domain dispersion (FDD) technique. The basis for these measur ements is more fully developed, and the meaning of intracavity dispers ion in an operating nonlinear system is discussed. We conclude that no nlinearity, although critically important in the mode-locking dynamics , contributes little to FDD measurements; therefore FDD is essentially a linear technique.